Basingstoke: Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony

Programme

Tugan Sokhiev takes to the podium to conduct a staple of the Romantic repertoire – Rachmaninov’s ever-popular Symphony No. 2.

With the stormy horn motif that opens the second movement followed by a fierce scherzo, and the singing clarinet theme of the third – one of the most beautiful melodies Rachmaninov ever wrote – the symphony boasts many memorable moments. There’s a reason why the Second Symphony is widely considered one of the composer’s best works: this is unabashed Romanticism at its best.

First, Swedish virtuoso Daniel Lozakovich is the soloist in Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Lyrical, long-breathed melodies fill the first two movements of the piece. But the violin’s singing lines are tinged with darkness, and give way to a stumbling dance in the finale – a perfect way for Lozakovich to impress us with his acclaimed technique.